Lawmakers in the House of Representatives of the Nigeria National Assembly resuming plenary on Tuesday condemned the torture of Nigerians resident in China by the Chinese government. The House of Representatives members, thereafter, resolved to investigate the legality of Chinese citizens resident in Nigeria; the lawmakers would extend their investigation to ascertaining the legality of their documents, duration of the visa granted to them, or those who came through illegal processes; then, those with work permit, among other diplomatic status. The defaulters may be recommended for repatriation to their country.
The lawmakers considering a motion on the “Maltreatment and Institutional Acts of Racial Discrimination against Nigerians Living in China by the Government of China” at the plenary presided by the Speaker of the House, Right Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, mandated the House Committees on Interior, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring, as well as Commerce, to conduct thorough investigation into the maltreatment of Nigerians in China and their subsequent repatriation by the Chinese government, which was revealed in a video that went vial on social media.
The mandate of the committees included the investigation of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Content and Development Monitoring Board, and any other relevant Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA), to check the validity of all immigration documents of every Chinese citizen resident in Nigeria.
The lawmakers further mandated the House Committees to investigate the expatriate quota of all the Chinese businesses in Nigeria to ascertain the number of illegal and undocumented immigrants in the country and ensure they were repatriated to China to regularise.
The House members explained that the investigations will be conducted with the cooperation of the Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, the CAC, and relevant MDAs.
They Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all relevant MDAs were also directed to ensure that all Nigerians who wish to return home were evacuated from China and quarantined upon arrival.